Explosive compound.



be over 30 centigrade.

- UNLITEE STAWENT enrich-f GEORGE canine; ANDWIMI-IILTONFQI Lnvns'nnx, or" DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP, WARREN ooun'rm'onm; sari) LINDSLEY ASSIGNOR T0 SAID KING.

nxrnosrvn COMPOUND.

No Drawing.

To ailwhom it mag concern: 3 v Be it knowntth'at we, GEORGE G.- KING- and MILTON F; LINDsLEY, citizens of the- United States, residing in the township of Deerfield, in thecounty of Warren and Stateof' Ohio, haveiu vented aii- Improvement in Explosive Compounds, of which the follow'- ing is a specification.

This invention relates to an explosive compound especially adapted for use in con-' nection with ordnance and fire arms.

Our preferred formula for producing the invention consists ofa combination of-nitr o- I'n compounding our powder we preferably first charge a large iron cylinder loaded with iron balls, commonly called a ball mill, with a charge consisting of wood fiber, preferablyfiber made from pop' lar wood by the soda process, 25% granu lated sugar, and 25% of potato starch. This charge is reduced in theemill to a very fine powder which is then thoroughly dried until. all of the moisture is expelled after which it is nitrated by being-fed slowly into a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids, said acids being contained in a lead cylinder which is surrounded by a Water jacket provided with a stirrer .in the form of a screw which keeps the acid in a constant stateof a itation, and so prevents firing. The otiice o the water jacket is to keep down the tem-' perature of the re-action which should ndt The acids used in nitration should preferably be of suflicient strength to give the nitrated product a content of about 13% of nitrogen and should be mixed in the proportion of about H 80, and 3 5% HNO The n'itratedmass is then thoroughly neutralized by continued washings, first-in cold water baths and after ward in-hot water baths, the cold water con-,

taining a small percentage .of carbonate of soda (Sal-soda) and the hot water baths conthe 'nitro compound is de-hydrated and is then ready to mix with the other ingredients Specification of Letters Patent. Applicationfiled August 10, 1911. .Serial No. 643,360.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

that comprise our compound in thefollow ing proportions: 25% of the nitro compound a above described, 4% oil of mirbane, in which 1% of asphalt is dissolved beforethe oil of mlrbane 1s introduced into the mass,

. 52.50% saltpeter, 7% sulfur, and 10.; charcoal. After these ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together by any .'-;uitable means they are placed under an edge'runuer, commonly called a wheel mill, which weighs about ten tons, and in this manner the ingredients are thoroughly mixed so that the resulting product becomes a more or less homogeneous mass. The charge per wheel is preferably about 400 pounds'and'the time of incorporation for each such charge about six hours. The wheel cake, so-called, as made by the before-described process, is then broken up and pressed into cakes about one and a half inches thick and-about twentyfour inches square by means of a hydraulic press and plates, the preferred pressure re- 'quired for this operation being about (3,000

pounds per square inch. The resulting cakes as they come from thepress are then broken up and granulated in the same manner that ordinary black powder is made. After granulation the powder is dried at a temperature of about 120 Fahr.

The powder made by the above described process and from the ingredients in approximatelythe proportions mentioned is suitable for use in all kinds of guns and other weapons and shoots very clean, leaving scarcely any perceptible residue and making very little smoke. It is also very accurate in rifles of all caliber-s.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Arf'explosive compound consisting of saltpeter, charcoal, a nitrated carbohydrate, sulfur, oil of mirbane and asphalt,

2. An explosive compound comprising the following ingredients:'saltpeter, charcoal, nitro-cellulose, sulfur, nitro-starch, nitrosugar, oil of mirbane, and asphalt.

3. An explosive compound comprising the following ingredients, iu substantially the following. proportions: 'saltpeter, 52.50%; charcoal, 10.50%; nitrocellulose. 12.50%

sulfur, 7%; nitro-starch, 6.25); intro-sugar;

following ingredients incorporated into a homogeneous mass in substantiallfi the folnitrate'd sugar 6.25%; oil of mirhane 4%, lowing proportions: saltpeter, 52.50% eharand asphalt 1%. coal, 10.50%; nitro-eellulose, 12.50% sulfur, In testimony whereof we have signed our 7% nitro-starcl1,(5.25% nitro-sugar, 6.25% names to this specification, in the presence of 15 5 oil of mirbane, 4%; asphalt 1%. two subscribing witnesses, on this 1st day 5. An explosive compound consisting of' of Aug.. 1911. I the following ingredients incorporated .into GEO. G. KING.

a homogeneous mass in substantially the fol- MILTON F. LINDSLEY. lowing proportions: saltpeter 52.50%; charl/Vitnesses: 10 coal 10.50%; nitrated Wood fiber, 12.50%; J. E. WITHAM, sulfur 7%; nitrated potato-meal, 6.25% C. E. GASKILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained ,for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

